PC cards, or plug-in cards, constructed in accordance with PCMCIA (Personal Computer Memory Card Industry Association) have a width and length of 54 mmxc3x9785.6 mm which is about the same as a common credit card. The most popular type of such card has a middle with a thickness of 5 mm. Such cards are inserted in electronic equipment such as portable computers to carry or transfer data. Another type of widely used card is a chip card, such as a SIM or CCM card, which has a width and length that are each less than half the width and length of the PC card and which have a thickness of about 0.8 mm. Such chip cards are often provided to authorize use of electrical equipment such as a portable computer, a mobile telephone, etc.
The reading of a chip card can be accomplished by inserted it into a special PC card and then plugging the PC card into a slot in the electrical equipment that is designed to receive the PC card. One type of special PC card includes a slot in the side of the PC card, which can weaken the side beams that support the card. My earlier U.S. Pat. No. 6,075,706 provides an opening in the upper sheet metal cover part into which the chip card can be laid, and with a lid that can be slid over the chip card. An even simpler PC card that could receive and read a chip card, would be of value.
In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, a PC card is provided with an opening in its upper sheet metal cover part to receive a chip card, which enables very simple insertion and removal of the chip card. A chip card guide includes at least opposite legs lying along opposite sides of the opening, and preferably with a rear leg lying at the rear of the opening, to help guide the card through the opening. The guide also forms a ramp on which the leading edge of the chip card can be placed while inserting it through the opening. The guide provides a narrow slot at the front end of the opening, between the guide and the upper cover part. When the chip card is fully inserted against a stop, the contact pads of the chip card lie away from the opening and engage contacts on a contact block.
The novel features of the invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention will be best understood from the following description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.